City of Commerce
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 - 5:00 PM
CONCURRENT JOINT MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COMMERCE, JOINT POWERS FINANCING AUTHORITY AND THE GOVERNING BODY
OF THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE COMMERCE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSION
5:00 P.M. CLOSED SESSION
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Rebollo called meeting to order at 5:14 p.m. via teleconferencing.
ROLL CALL
Mayor Rebollo
Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo
Councilmember Altamirano
Councilmember Mendoza
Councilmember Soria
Present: 5 -
PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION ITEMS
Director of Administrative Services and City Clerk Shumway read a letter from Kevin Larsen urging the City Council to give pay cuts back to the employees.
RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
City Council/Successor Agency recessed to Closed Session at 5:17 p.m.
1. Pursuant to Government Code §54957.6 the City Council will confer with its labor negotiator, Edgar P. Cisneros, with respect to labor negotiations pertaining to:
A. The Memoranda of Understanding between the City and the City of Commerce Employees Association on behalf of the part -time employees.
B. The Memoranda of Understanding between the City and the City of Commerce Employees Association on behalf of the mid-management and non-management full-time employees.
C. Compensation and benefits for the unrepresented full-time executive management employees.
2. Conference with Legal Counsel Pursuant to Government Code Sections 54956.9(d)(2) City of Commerce Page 1 Printed on 5/18/2022
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Regarding Anticipated/Potential Litigation - One (1) Matter.
3. Pursuant to Government Code §54956.8, the City Council will confer with its real property negotiator, Edgar Cisneros, with respect to real estate negotiations with Wash-Tel Commerce, LLC concerning proposed price and other terms relating thereto, comprised of 6329 and 6355 Washington Boulevard, Commerce, California, commonly referred to as the Stahl Trust property.
RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
City Council/Successor Agency reconvened to Open Session at 6:36 p.m. via teleconferencing.
ORAL CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
City Attorney Tapia reported on Closed Session items:
Item 1 - staff provided a presentation, the City Council provided feedback, and took no reportable action on this item. Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo was not present during the last portion of the item discussion.
Items #2 & #3- staff provided a presentation, feedback was provided to staff, and no reportable action was taken on these items.
6:00 P.M. - CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Rebollo called regular meeting to order at 6:38 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Mayor Rebollo
Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo
Councilmember Altamirano
Councilmember Mendoza
Councilmember Soria
Present: 5 -
APPEARANCES AND PRESENTATIONS
1. Presentation/Update from the Sheriff's Department Regarding Public Safety in the City of Commerce
Captain Chavez introduced herself as a new captain for East Los Angeles Station.
Councilmembers and the Mayor congratulated Captain Chavez on the assignment and welcomed her to the community.
Sgt. Villarreal provided statistics for the last month.
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Mayor Rebollo asked for a report on COPS team.
2. Commendation Honoring Makayla Rice for her Countless Achievements and Community Involvement
Mayor Rebollo and Councilmemebers recognized Makayla Rice for her outstanding achievements, community involvement and giving spirit.
3. Update Regarding National Library Week
Library Director Sarmiento provided an overview of the past National Library Week. Councilmembers and the Mayor thanked Director Sarmiento and library staff for all activities that they provide. Discussion took place about the literacy program and the start date.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Director of Administrative Services and City Clerk read the following public comments:
Updated letter from Kevin Larsen, Presidents of Employee association, and letters urging reverting back to the old transportation routes submitted by Mirta Areas, Maria Gallo, Gloria Arreola, Martha Murgas, and Gloria Nezahualcoyotl.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Rebollo requested to pull item #7 for discussion, Councilmember Soria requested items #14 and #17 pulled, Councilmember Mendoza requested item #12 pulled and Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo requested item #15 to be pulled for discussion.
Item #7 - Mayor Rebollo asked whether the City Council could resume in-person meetings. City Manager Cisneros stated that the Council Chambers should be ready by June.
City Attorney Tapia recommended reapproving the emergency resolution so that the City Council could easily revert to teleconferencing if needed.
Mayor Rebollo moved, seconded by Councilmember Altamirano, to adopt a Resolution re-ratifying the proclamation of a State of Emergency by Governor Newsom on March 4, 2020, and re-authorizing remote teleconferencing meetings of the legislative bodies of the City of Commerce for the 30-day period pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act and AB 361, and resume in-person Council meeting while reapproving emergency resolution to provide flexibility of having a meeting by City of Commerce Page 3 Printed on 5/18/2022
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teleconferencing if the situation arises. The motion was carried by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Altamirano, Mendoza, Soria, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo and Mayor Rebollo (5)
Item #12 - Councilmember Mendoza stated that the education background should include the requirement of civil engineering certification. Following the discussion, it was a consensus among the City Council to add this requirement to the job specifications. "Civil Engineer Certification is Required." Councilmember Mendoza moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, to adopt a Resolution amending the Classification Plan by revising the job specification for the Director of Public Works and adding "Civil Engineer Certification is required" to the education background portion of the job description.
The motion was carried by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Altamirano, Mendoza, Soria, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo and Mayor Rebollo (5)
Item #14 and #17 - Councilmember Soria stated that he had a conflict of interest and recused himself from participating or voting on those items.
Councilmember Altamirano moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, to approve items #14 and #17. The motion was carried by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Altamirano, Mendoza, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo and Mayor Rebollo (4)
RECUSED: Councilmember Soria (1)
Item #15- Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo announced that the 4th of July fireworks display will be on and thanked Commerce Casino for donating funds for this event.
Director of Parks and recreation Alaniz provided an overview of the upcoming 4th of July celebration.
Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo moved, seconded by Mayor Rebollo, to adopt a Resolution approving an Agreement with Pyro Spectaculars, Inc. for the 4th of July pyrotechnic display at Rosewood Park. The motion was carried by the following City of Commerce Page 4 Printed on 5/18/2022
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vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Altamirano, Mendoza, Soria, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo and Mayor Rebollo (5)
Councilmember Altamirano moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, to approve the Consent Calendar minus items #7, #12, #15, #14 and #17. The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Mayor Rebollo, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, Councilmember Altamirano, Councilmember Mendoza, and Councilmember Soria
5 -
4. Approval of Warrant Register Nos. 17A, 17B, 18A & 18B
5. Approval of Minutes
6. Proclamation Designating the Week of May 15-21, 2022, as National Transportation Week
7. Re-Ratifying the Proclamation of a State of Emergency by Governor Newsom, and Re-Authorizing Remote Teleconference Meetings of the Legislative Bodies of the City of Commerce for the 30-Day Period
8. Letter of Support for the State General Fund Request for $180 Million for SB 1383 Local Assistance Grants
9. FY 2018-2019 Pavement Rehabilitation Project Acceptance
10. Procurement Policy to Include SB 1383 Organics Recycling Requirements
11. Funding Request for New Capital Improvement Projects for Fiscal Year 2021-22
12. Amending the Director of Public Works Job Specification
13. Commerce Way Pavement Construction Project from Sheila Street to Washington Boulevard Plans, Specifications and Estimates Approval
14. Professional Services Agreement with Hartzog & Crabill, Inc. for the Design Services for Various Signalized Intersections Improvement Project
15. Agreement with Pyro Spectaculars, Inc. for the 4th of July Pyrotechnic Display at Rosewood Park
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16. First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with MDG Associates, Inc., to Provide Additional Scope of Services Related to the City’s First-Time Homebuyer 2.0 Program
17. Professional Service Agreement with VanLen Consultants for Surveying Services
18. Donation of One (1) Surplus Toyota Prius Sedan
19. Reimbursement Agreement for Shelter Beds within the Salvation Army Shelter located in the City of Bell, California
SCHEDULED MATTERS
20. Commerce in Motion Survey Results and Proposed Commerce Connect Service
Director of Transportation McFerguson provided an overview of the staff report.
Discussion took place, and Mayor Rebollo stated that grants are received based on ridership. If the ridership decreases significantly, the funding for the Transportation department would go away or would be significantly reduced.
According to Transportation Director McFerguson, Commerce in Motion and recent changes increase ridership, allowing the City to get more funding. Director McFerguson added that the City needs to do anything possible to maximize the operating costs and increase ridership.
Before the pandemic, ridership in Commerce was declining, and with the changes, ridership increased better than projected. Additional funding would allow to build a new facility and provide better services.
Mayor Rebollo stated that there would be some micro-transit provided to replace the purple line. According to Director McFerguson, one micro-bus would be dedicated for this line, and they will be evaluating the ridership and adjusting as needed. Director McFerguson stated that the wait time would be the same as before, and having a microbus would be faster and better maneuvering. This route would be in addition to school routes.
In response to Mayor Rebollo stating that the wait time for Dial-A-Ride is sometimes an hour or two, Director McFerguson noted that once all four drivers are hired, that issue would be fixed. In addition, multiple residents would be picked City of Commerce Page 6 Printed on 5/18/2022
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up once the dial-a-ride comes to senior communities.
Councilmember Mendoza spoke about the transportation system connecting all cities in Los Angeles. Councilmember Mendoza was concerned that seniors now have to walk long distances to the bus stops. In addition, Councilmember Mendoza asked to differentiate the residents' ridership and how many non-residents drive City buses, and possibly eliminate outside the City routes and bring express routes to compliment old routes. Director McFerguson stated that this change would impact the funding since the system designed just for the City connectivity would be funded differently. They would need to look for other funding sources.
Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo asked for the phased approach in the future, create a pilot program, and develop Plan B to address issues. Further discussion took place regarding funding sources and when the ridership started to decline.
According to Councilmember Soria, the pandemic created some challenges. He was excited to see Commerce Connect be implemented and staff working on resolving issues that arose and making the adjustment to the Dial-A-Ride program.
Mayor Rebollo asked whether the City could establish connectivity to ELAC.
Director McFerguson responded that the City needs to wait another year until modifications to the routes could be made, and all routes have to be quantified.
Councilmember Altamirano moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, to approve Commerce in Motion Survey Results and approve service augmentation plan for the Transportation Department. The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Mayor Rebollo, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, Councilmember Altamirano, Councilmember Mendoza, and Councilmember Soria
5 -
ORDINANCES
21. First Reading of an Uncodified Ordinance Approving a Development Agreement Related to Application No. 18-028
Director of Economic Development and Planning Jimenez provided an overview of the staff report.
Councilmember Soria moved, seconded by Councilmember Altamirano, to introduce for First Reading, by waiving the full reading and reading by title only, an Uncodified Ordinance approving Development Agreement with Anresco Incorporated, Inc for a commercial cannabis business at 5400 City of Commerce Page 7 Printed on 5/18/2022
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Jillson Street, and making a determination regarding exemption from further CEQA review and direct staff to prepare and file corresponding Notices of Exemption. The motion was carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Mayor Rebollo, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, Councilmember Altamirano, Councilmember Mendoza, and Councilmember Soria
5 -
22. Second Reading and Adoption by Waiving the Full Reading and Reading by Title Only, Four Uncodified Ordinances Approving Development Agreements Related to Application Nos. 18-003, 18-019, 18-064, and 18-094
Director of Economic Development and Planning Jimenez provided an overview of the staff report.
Councilmember Soria moved, seconded by Mayor Rebollo, to approve for Second Reading and Adoption by Waiving the Full Reading and Reading by title only an Uncodified Ordinance approving and adopting Development Agreement with J&L Property Holdings, LLC for a commercial cannabis business related to Permit Application No. 18-003; an Uncodified Ordinance approving and adopting Development Agreement with New Era Healing, LLC for a commercial cannabis business related to Permit Application No. 18-019, an Uncodified Ordinance approving and adopting Development Agreement with NotStanLA, Inc for a commercial cannabis business related to Permit Application No. 18-064,and an Uncodified Ordinance approving and adopting Development Agreement with6436 Corvette, LLC for commercial cannabis business related to Permit Application No 18-094. Director of Administrative Services and City Clerk Shumway read the titles of the Ordinances. The motion was carried by the following vote:
Ayes: 4 - Mayor Rebollo, Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo, Councilmember Altamirano, and Councilmember Soria
Absent: 1 - Councilmember Mendoza
CITY COUNCIL/SUCCESSOR AGENCY REPORTS
Councilmember Altamirano announced implementing a new program in the City called Shotspotter. The sensors will pinpoint where the shot was fired if anyone shoots a gun. Councilmember Altamirano asked that staff coordinates a presentation at the City Council meeting providing an overview of the program by Shotspotter.
Councilmember Mendoza reported that on April 17, 2022, he attended an Easter Celebration at First Baptist Church in Commerce; on April 29, 2022, he received a second booster; on May 1, 2022, he attended the Grand Opening of the Senior City of Commerce Page 8 Printed on 5/18/2022
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Center, on May 2, 2022, attended the Grand opening of B&B Chinese Food place; on May 5, 2022, attended Mother's Day celebration at Senior Center; attended meeting with Janice Hahn. Councilmember Mendoza announced that his home was cleaned from contamination related to Exide, wished everyone Happy Mexican Mother's Day, and invited everyone to participate in the Spring Clean-up events scheduled for May 13, 2022.
Mayor Pro Tem Argumedo reported that he attended the Grand opening of the Senior Center and attended the meeting with Supervisor Janice Hahn.
Mayor Rebollo wished everyone happy Mexican Mother's Day; apologized to the community for miscommunication and politicking that was not beneficial to the community; talked about the support of the employees and the City's future, and not making irrational decisions because of the politicking going before the election.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 9:32 p.m. in memory Martin Gutierrez, Pete Burciaga, and Hortencia Altamirano, aunt of Councilmember Altamirano.
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